Do Mosquitoes Carry Diseases? A Pest Safety Guide
There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes swarming our planet right now.
But, other than being a nuisance, can mosquitoes cause more problems for your health? Let’s answer the question, “do mosquitoes carry diseases?”
Keep reading to learn more!
Do Mosquitoes Carry Diseases?
Essentially, there’s a simple answer to this question. Yes, mosquitoes carry diseases. In fact, almost seven hundred million people become ill from diseases carried by mosquitoes each year.
Of course, one of the most well-known diseases spread by mosquitoes is malaria. Malaria isn’t all that common in the United States, but it can still occur. And if you plan to travel to regions where malaria is more widespread, you’ll need to make sure that you’re prepared.
Mosquitoes can also spread the West Nile virus. The majority of people infected with West Nile experience no symptoms, but those who do may exhibit fever, headaches, vomiting, and more. In rare cases, people may experience coma, vision loss, or paralysis.
Mosquitoes were also a big part of spreading the Zika virus during the pandemic in South America a few years back. Some of the different symptoms of the Zika virus include fever, joint pain, muscle pain, and headaches. While the actual symptoms of the Zika virus can be mild, when pregnant people are infected, the virus can cause birth defects.
Some of the other diseases that mosquitoes can spread include dengue fever, Chikungunya virus, encephalitis, and yellow fever. Clearly, mosquitos can be more than just an annoyance. But, you don’t necessarily have to struggle through them.
Mosquito Disease Prevention: Top Tips
The easiest way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to keep yourself far away from mosquitoes. Always apply bug spray before going outdoors. Keep your skin covered by clothing as much as possible.
Some plants can also repel mosquitoes if you’re trying to keep mosquitoes off your property generally. Some plants that can help include citronella, marigolds, or basil. If you’re not a gardener, you can purchase citronella candles or scents instead.
If you have standing water anywhere around your property, get rid of it ASAP. You can get your home treated with pesticides, but you’ll need to be extremely careful due to the environmental and health risks.
It can be difficult to get rid of mosquitoes once they invade your home. You can use mosquito netting to keep them away while you sleep, and mosquito traps to get them out of there. You can use a mosquito fogger to remove the mosquitos from your home, and to disinfect everything once they’re gone you can consider using a ULV fogger.
Practice Mosquito Safety Today
While the answer to, “do mosquitoes carry diseases?” is yes, that doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to getting one of these diseases. Now that you have this information, you can protect yourself.
Are you looking for more information about pest control and related topic? Go through a few of our other articles for more of what you need.
